Kristin Hopkins
Mr. Right How a Jersey City lawyer loved and lost on “The Bachelor”
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inding love in the time of COVID-19 can be tough. “I tried the apps at the beginning of quarantine,” says Kristin Hopkins. “They’re really not my vibe at all.” But she is open to being set up. Hopkins’s mom was watching “Good Morning America” when they announced that Matt James was chosen to be the first Black leading man on the reality TV show, “The Bachelor” after 25 seasons. The decision came after fans petitioned ABC to feature a Black leading man. Hopkins got a call from her mom.
“She was like, ‘Oh Kristin, he’s fine, he’s cute, you should definitely look into it.’” Hopkins Googled James, and she liked what she saw. “He’s 6-foot-5. He’s employed. He’s attractive. All of the boxes are being checked off here,” Hopkins says. Plus Mom already approved. “I was like, ‘Let’s see what happens’.” A friend of hers, who’s a longtime fan of the show, submitted Hopkins’s application, and the casting process began. That’s when Hopkins, who had never seen the show, decided to watch a couple of episodes.
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And the Rest is History She realized that she isn’t the typical contestant. It’s not uncommon for contestants to have job descriptions like Social Media Participant or Aspiring Dolphin Trainer, but Hopkins is an attorney for a Manhattan firm. “That was something that I thought about during the casting process,” she says. “I’m an attorney. Will people think that I’m not professional because I went on this show? But then I started to realize that I’m going on the show to find love, and if they see that as unprofessional then I don’t want to work for that person. I just tried to be who I am, and I don’t think that I’m
an unprofessional person. I don’t think anything that I did was unprofessional, and I don’t think the show is that way. As long as you carry yourself well then you’ll be okay.” Hopkins joined the most diverse cast of women that the show has ever featured.
Reflective of America “I would not have applied if it weren’t a Black man who was the bachelor,” Hopkins says. “That’s just my preference for men. I was very excited about this opportunity because it’s the first time that they have a Black bachelor. Obviously, that comes with a more diverse cast than ‘The Bachelor’ normally has. I was very excited to be able
